CMP Garand

I've been looking at the Garands from CMP again and my finger is itching to press the buy button. I've been giving the service grade garands a hard look. It lists minor throat, barrel erosion and scratches/dings to the stock. What are my options if I buy this gun? I assume keeping it as it is and just cleaning up the metal and wood would give it good resale value, but what about rebarreling it into .308? Worth it in terms of accuracy or cost? What about just plain rebarelling it with a new .30-06 barrel? How bad should I expect the erosion/damage to the barrel and crown? I assume just changing the barrel would mean I can always switch the original back. Is it easy to mount a scope on it without drilling holes and other irreversible methods? I don't want to change the gun such that I can't build it back the way I got it, but I'd like to "sporterize" it or get it cleaned up. This is all assuming I like the gun of course.

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jthuang

November 7, 2006, 12:00 PM

I don't think rebarreling a SG M1 is necessary. In fact, I'd say even the RG or FG rifles don't need rebarreling.

I have a SG M1. My dad has "appropriated" the rifle for now, but there are no accuracy issues with it, using LC ball. Most of the other reviews on ar15.com and elsewhere indicate that accuracy is decent even with FG or RG rifles.

The SG M1 rifles from the CMP have plenty of life left in them. There's no reason to re-barrel a SG unless you have a burning desire to spend some extra cash.

If anything, a RG rifle would be a better candidate for a new barrel, whether it's .308 or .30-06. You could get away with having it done for about $200-$250.

Here's a thread from another forum on CMP M1 accurizing:
http://www.ambackforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=26735

If you want to mount optics on your M1, consider getting a 'no gunsmithing' mount where you don't have to drill & tap the receiver. Drilling & tapping will only hurt the value of your rifle in the long run. I believe that B-Square and S&K makes such mounts.

If you want a phenomenal M1 then buy a rack grade and send it off to Dean's Gun Restorations (www.dgrguns.com). He'll work wonders on your rifle!